The term Tanbur can refer to various long-necked string instruments originating in Mesopotamia, Southern or Central Asia. According to the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "terminology pre
Musician and luthier Ghobad Ghobadi (تنبورقبادی), a face of Yarsanism, plays a Kurdish tanbur. Ghobadi makes tanburs in the Yarsan tradition.
left to right: Turkish tambur, Greek Baglamas, tambouras
North Indian Tanpura (left) used as a drone to accompany a sarod recital
A setar is a stringed instrument, a type of lute used in Persian traditional music, played solo or accompanying voice. It is a member of the tanbur family of long-necked lutes with a range of more tha
Tanbur
…music. Closely related are the Greek bouzouki and the buzuq, an instrument found in urban areas such as Baghdad, Damascus, and Beirut. The dutar and setar, found in Iran and Central Asia, are derived from the Khorosanian tunbūr. In the Balkans, the Tambura is a stringed instrument that is played as a folk…
Parts of an Iranian Setar
Setar bowl or body, string holder, strings, bridge and sound holes
Woman with a Setar, Safavid Iran, Isfahan (ca. 1600–1610)
Woman with a Setar, Qajar Iran, Tehran